Favorite dishes from the most feared inspectors on the international culinary scene: Michelin rewards comfort food
The News
If the identity of Michelin inspectors remains shrouded in mystery it is, however, granted some indiscretions about their favorite dishes. Revealing the comfort foods most loved by the “judges” of the Red is not an in-depth analysis of the awards given each year, but rather an article where Michelin itself reports the confidences of its superfine palates. They range from sweet to savory; from fresh pasta to exotic ingredients because, while there are precise rules and parameters in the awarding of stars, it remains true that “it is not always good what is good, but it is good what pleases ” and pampers the palate and the heart. "If one of the most emotionally important components of a dish is to take us back to childhood, roast chicken is one of those recipes I can't resist.
The secret is very simple: the memory harkens back to my beloved grandmother who, with expert hands, would begin the preparation early in the morning using extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, a little garlic and rosemary. Baking it in the oven or in a pan over low heat gave off a unique and totally inviting aroma and it was also the dish that made a family lunch, usually the Sunday one, special. It was beautifully accompanied by crispy potatoes, true delights for a young and childlike palate,", confides one of the inspectors. Roast chicken, then, is among the heart dishes that would betray his character if he did not recommend where to enjoy one of the best. We come to the tip: “the free-range chicken baked in the oven” at Guido da Costigliole's restaurant, a Michelin star.
Then there are those who cannot resist a mouth-watering plate of cured meats when they happen to be in Emilia-Romagna. "Often Friday is the day for delicacies, the week draws to a close, with the exception of long international trips, and lunch on this day of the week constitutes a sort of ‘personal reward’ for work done. Here you generally arrive in a location not far from home, in my case it might be the beautiful and gluttonous Emilia-Romagna, where cured meats are an integral part of the culture. I also happened, however, to stop the previous evening, a dreary, wintry Thursday, at Trattoria da Amerigo, a Michelin-starred trattoria of masterfully executed traditional cuisine, and pampered myself with a delicious prosciutto di mora romagnola.
Two different cuts, pear and false pear: the fatty part is abundant and intense with an almost mineral taste, a darker and marbled cut as well as one with more linear colors and ample fatty part but very delicate... it literally melts in the mouth. On the side, freshly baked tigelle, warm and mouthwatering to accompany this enjoyment! Want to escape... even if only the time of a dish”. There are those who. instead. fly across the Atlantic to land in South America and delight in platanos fritos. "Platanos fritos, also known as tostones, have ancient origins and are widespread in many tropical regions of the world. In particular, platanos fritos are very popular in Latin America and the Caribbean. In Brazil, for example, they are a key part of the local cuisine. In the Dominican Republic, they are called tostones and are often served as a side dish or snack. Even in countries such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, and Peru, platanos fritos are a traditional dish with several regional variations. Beyond their intriguing flavor, eating them brings me back to exotic and holiday atmospheres, making me mentally escape from the daily grind. It takes the appropriate bananas, platanos precisely, which can be found without difficulty in ethnic stores in the cities. In both cases they should be cut into rounds and fried in a frying pan, at the end a sprinkling of salt to taste; if they are “maduros” the result will be a soft texture and a sweeter taste (platanos fritos), if they are more “verdes” you will get more texture and a more astringent flavor (tostones)."
Eggnog, however, appears among the sweets of another inspector's heart and memory. "Eggnog, my madeleine. So many qualities are required of a dish. Not infrequently even an emotion. Yet, even to us Michelin Guide Inspectors who have in our experience hundreds and hundreds of restaurants tried and, consequently, thousands of dishes tasted, of all sorts, there happen to be days when what we ask of the tasting is simply ... a pampering. A moment of light habit that makes us feel lighter. This is the effect one of my favorite desserts has on me: eggnog. It may seem like a very simple dessert, and in many ways it is. The ingredients of the classic recipe, in the end, are only three: egg yolks, sugar and, if desired, a dash of Marsala or sweet Moscato, to be cooked in a bain-marie until a velvety mixture is obtained. However, in order to achieve a result that can delight my palate, it first needs to be freshly made, as they say in technical terms, espresso, plus it must be served absolutely hot. Only then will its sinuous creaminess and unmistakable aroma of eggs mixed with a hint of liqueur make the palate enjoy it. In a sense when I eat it I open two drawers inside me.
One is certainly the more direct and sensory one of the palate, precisely, which is enveloped and cuddled by the comfortable softness of the warm, soft and mouthwatering cream. The other is a more hidden emotional drawer, hidden in the closets of memory. There was a time when I was a child, that on Sunday mornings in winter, for breakfast, my father would prepare egg yolks beaten by the spoonful with sugar. During the week, he was never around, so that weekly appointment became a special ritual. Of course, in that case the sugar crunched nicely under the teeth and in itself the yolk cream was cold, but the gluttonous and caloric strength was definitely the same.” The sweet note also remains in another colleague's favorite dish: pumpkin tortelli.
"There is one dish that sums up beauty, history, cuisine and my gastronomic dreams: pumpkin tortelli. Geographical specificity opens my eyes wide to a monumental and elegant city, overlooking the Mincio River, which, enraptured by its charm, slows its pace by flooding into the three lakes to give itself time to admire it. It spawned Virgil, but it was with the Gonzaga family that it became one of Europe's most resplendent, admired and envied courts. In its countryside, pumpkins are grown and mixed with amaretti biscuits, mostarda, Parmigiano and spices to create one of the most mouth-watering pasta dishes: savory in its position among the courses on the menu, sweet for content. In my gourmet dreams, even before I became a Michelin inspector, there was one restaurant that had to be tried more than all and at all costs, because it had succeeded in transforming this humble vegetable into much more than a carriage: as in Cinderella's fairy tale, it had become a three-star dish. Of the evening I went to Runate, Dal Pescatore, three Michelin stars, everything is still etched in my mind, because of the excitement of seeing that dish sublimated to the highest level.". History and gastronomy are also intertwined for the one who cannot give up Limone Sfusato Amalfitano...
“Also known as the Amalfi Coast Lemon, it is a variety of lemon grown along the Amalfi Coast. Famous for its unique characteristics and its connection to local culture and tradition, this fruit has very ancient roots, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire and was introduced to Italy by Middle Eastern merchants. In these times when travel is wanted to be more and more sustainable, we often get to travel by train, a small opportunity for less environmental impact but also a great chance to bring home a mango souvenir. Here, then, that-in the right season-I do not fail to return from the trip with a small supply of sfusato amalfitano lemon: a citrus fruit with a thousand facets due to its fleshy and sweet peel, its intense flavor and heady scents... The outermost peel proves excellent for making a homemade limoncello, while after a few weeks of maceration, the juice becomes an indispensable ally in seasoning baked fish, flavoring a Virgin Mary or preparing a jam to go with some cheeses."
